Windmill



Jan.' 189 1,614,804 M. H. RICHARDSON WINDMILL .Filed Sept. 14, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 18, 1927.

MYBON H. RICHARDSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WINDMILL.

Application met september 14, 1921. serial No. 500,608.

My invention relates to windmills and has for one of its objects the provision of a simple and eiicient device of this character which has means for controlling it to cause the mill to rotate at uniform speed.

A further object is the provision of a windmill equipped with an electric generator with means for automatically cutting the generator into and out of operative condition.

A still further object is the provision of mea-ns for mounting the wind-wheel of a windmill in a manner to provide a rigid mounting for the wheel.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

An embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification and in which Fig. 1 is a side view with portions broken away to show underlying partsr of a windmill embodying my invention; Y

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmental section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view looking at the of the wind-wheel;

Fig. L is an enlarged detail, partly in section, showing the mounting` of the frame on the top of the tower: and

Fig. 5 is a view showing a detail of one of the vanes of the wind-wheel.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I have indicated' the top portion of a tower 6 suitable for mounting a windmill. It will be understood that my improved windmill may be mounted on any of the usual or any preferred tower.

In the form of tower shown I have indicated a tube 7 mounted in the tower and eX- tended upwardly therefrom. Journaled on the tube 7 is a frame 8 which carries the windmill, generator, etc. A ball bearing 9 may be provided between the frame 3 and tower 6 when desired so as to make the mill front side turn easily so that the controlling vane 10 will easily hold the wind-wheel in operative osition.

WVhere the shaft upon which the windwheel is mounted rotates in bearings in the frame of the windmill considerable side pressure is sometimes had due to the windwheel being slightly out of balance. IVith my improved construction I provide a stud shaft 11 anchored firmly in a portion of the frame 8 and on this shaft 11, I lmount a sleeve 12. This sleeve carries the windvpinion 1T and the latter wheel and also at its inner end has a gear wheel. 13 which meshes with a pinion' 1t carried on the hub of a gear 15. The latter is mounted on a stud shaft 1G carried on the frame 8. The gear 15 also meshes with a is arranged on a generator shaft 18. A generatorl 19 is also arranged ,in the frame 8 and a clutch 20 connects the. generator 19 with the pinion 1T. The clutch 20 has a groove in which an end of an angular lever 21 operates. The lever 21 is pivoted as at 22 to the frame S and connected at its other end to a rod 23 which extends up to the top of tube 7 and thence downwardly through the latter to a position where it can be operated by hand. 'I he train of gears between tubular member 12 and the generator 19 simply indicates one form ofv driving gears and any other desired connection may be provided between these. parts. l

A hub 24 is fixed on the member 12 a'nd a plurality of spokes 25 are attached to and radiate from said hub. At the outer end of said spokes 25 is a ring 26 and intermediate the ends of each spoke is a cross member 27 which also carries a ring 28. Journaled radially from the sleeve 12 in the rings 26 and 28 are a plurality of shafts 29 each of which carries a vane 30. The vanes are preferably notched intermediate their ends a'long their side edges and rings 31 connected with the vanes so that when one vane is swung on its axes all of the other vanes will also be moved in like manner.

On the outer end of sleeve 12 I provide pivot pins 32 on which are pivoted at their central parts two levers 33 and 34. Each lever carries an adjustable weight 35 near its outer end and said weight may be attached by a set screw 36 or in any other desirable manner. The levers 33 and 34 have a coil spring 37 connecting portions thereof tending to draw said levers to a position parallel with the sleeve 12. Two of the shafts 29 have cranks 38 fixed thereon and said cranks are connected by links 39 with the levers 33 and 34 so that when the windwheel rotates centrifugal force tends to move levers 33 and 34 to bring them at right angles to the axis of the wind-wheel against the influence of spring 37. This movement of said levers swings the vanes 30 so that as the wind tends to rotate the wheel faster the levers 3a will draw the vanes around so as to take less wind and in this manner cause the wheel to rotate at a substantially even rate of speed.

In the frame 8 I have mounted a iixed contact 40 which in the present instance is insulated from the 'ra'me. Mounted on the sleeve 12 is a. collar 411 which has a rod 12 extending through the hub 24 and connected as at 13 with lever 3ft. This arrangement is such that when the wind-wheel is rotating below a predetermined speed the collar L11 Will be out of engagement with contact i0 and therefore the circuit through the generator will be broken and upon the wheel coming up to speed electrical circuit will be completed and permit the generator to ops erate. The electrical wires may be attached to the device in any desirable manner. I have indicated leads 14 and L15 as being connected with brushes 4:6 and 7 which are in contact with collector rings 48 and 49. The ring 49 is being indicated as connected with the trame 8 by a wire 5() and ring 8 is indicated as being connected with a' wire 51 to the generator 19. The other pole ot' the generator is connected with the contact 4:0. It will be understood that the electrical circuit and automatic switch may be ot any approved construction, the arrangement shown being' simply to indicate broadly such an arrangement.

I claim A Windmill comprising a wheel having vanes thereon mounted to swing about radial axes to vary the amount of surface presented to the Wind7 means for constraining said vanes to move in unison with one another about their radial aXes, and a governor for moving said vanes about their radial axes, said governor comprising a pair of cross arms mounted to swing' about a common pivot intercepting the axis ot rotation of said wheel, ea'ch ot' said cross arms being substantially individually balanced about its pivotal axis, the cross arms being disposed to swing substantially in a plane including the axis of rotation ot said wheel, means tor constraining said cross arms to rotate in unison with said wheel, a spring for drawing the outer ends of said cross arms toward the aXis of rot-ation of said wheel, and means located on the outward side of said wheel connecting said cross arms to said vanes to swing said vanes about their radiating axes when said cross arms are caused to swing outwardlyby centrifugal torce.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification on this 6th day of August, A. D. 1921.

MYRON H. RICHARDSON. 

